The End of the Console Wars
by Saber Knight
Summary: The Console Wars have raged for hundreds of years, and Purple Heart has finally had enough. Leaving Celestia, she returns to her nation permanently, but the other goddesses won't let her leave so easily. A new war is on the horizon, and it will affect all of Gamindustri. [WARNING: Contains Character Death.]
1. No Such Thing as Peace

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hyperdimension Neptunia.**

 **WARNING: This story contains Character Death.**

 ** ** **Enjoy...?******

* * *

For centuries I fought against the other three goddesses in Celestia as we tried to take each other's Shares by force. I held my ground against the persistent Black Heart, danced with Green Heart's quick thrusts, and withstood White Heart's sheer tenacity time after time; but, no matter how hard I fought, I could never overcome any one of them. Likewise, none of them could overcome me. At times, our power would weaken as our Shares dropped, so we would depart from Celestia and to our nations to restore our Shares. As soon as our power was strong once more, we would return and continue our battles, which had become known to our citizens as _The Console Wars_.

It was a never-ending stalemate.

Futile, in and of itself.

So why did we continue to fight with one another?

I found myself asking that question often.

What was the point to all of this? Why couldn't we just set aside our differences and become friends? Was taking each other's Shares, or becoming the one true goddess, so important? No, it wasn't, at least not to me, not anymore...

So I tried to talk it out with the other goddesses, but they didn't listen. They just laughed, and so we continued to fight.

Eventually, I had had enough.

Even though my power was still strong, and my Shares were still high, I returned to Planeptune. I made my nation my home, and I did not return to Celestia. Eventually, they came looking for me, and demanded that I return to Celestia or they would be forced to work together to defeat me once and for all. I refused, and so they attacked.

It was all I could do to defend myself, but all the time I had spent in Planeptune had raised my Shares high enough to stand my ground. With the help of my trusted guards, the goddesses were forced to retreat. They each went back to their own nation to raise their Shares, but their temporary alliance with one another did not last long. They turned on each other just weeks later, and I didn't hear from them again.

Years later, an uneasy peace had settled over me as I abided my time between keeping my Shares high, playing video games, and eating the one thing that gave me peace of mind.

Pudding.

Delicious pudding.

Whenever I had that wonderful snack, I could think clearly. Sometimes I wondered what the other goddesses were up to, but there were mixed rumors of them battling in Celestia, or raising their Shares in their nations. Sometimes there were even rumors of war brewing, but such rumors came and went. I never did believe that the other goddesses would ever drag their nations into the Console Wars with them, so I didn't pay much heed to such rumors.

Eventually, when five years had past, _she_ came to see me.

* * *

Black Heart, or Noire (I think that was her name), found me in the middle of an open field after I had finished taking care of some monsters. She landed gracefully, and the look on her face didn't give any indication that she had just dropped by for a social call.

"Neptune." She said, glaring at me.  
"Nowa." I said back.  
"It's Noire!" She yelled, annoyed.  
"Oh, right, sorry." I apologized, awkwardly laughing. "So, um, what brings you over to Planeptune today, Noire?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Noire asked as she raised her sword. "I've come to defeat you once and for all."  
I sighed, sad. "Didn't you already try that with Bert and Vlanc?"  
"That was five years ago. I've become much stronger since then; in fact, I plan on dealing with those two idiots after I gut you."  
I took a step forward, swinging my fists down. "Noire! We don't have to fight! I don't want anything to do with the Console Wars anymore!"

For one moment, I caught a flash of anger and... loneliness (?) in her eyes, but the next moment it was replaced with her signature determination. "Neptune, as one of the four goddesses, you can't escape this. You can't!" With that last cry, she attacked.

Our blades clashed as we danced around each other, the ground tearing asunder as we unleashed our power. Noire was right. She had grown much stronger; as strong as me, in fact. If I wasn't careful, I could very well lose this battle. Despite that, I still tried to reach out for her. "Listen to me, Noire! You don't have to do this! We could be friends! All of the goddesses could, if only we would sit down and talk for once!"

"Ever the dreamer, aren't you, Neptune?" Noire said as our blades locked against each other's. "It's too late for that! All we know how to do is to fight!"  
"It doesn't have to stay that way! We can change! Just give it a chance!"

We pulled back to recover, and as we did it seemed like Noire was actually giving what I said some thought; but, whatever hope I had was quickly crushed. "No, we can't." Was all she said before coming at me with her most powerful attack.

We'd been fighting for hours now, so we were both getting tired. Noire wanted to put an end to it, so she was putting everything she had left in that one attack. In my current state, would I be able to withstand it?

In the next moment, she launched herself at me, and I was sent flying. My sword fell from my hand, but I landed back on my feet, skidding to a stop in the dirt, but I dropped to my knee. I didn't have the strength to stand.

 _Noire really was powerful._

She stood above me, her sword raised.

 _If any of us were good enough to be the one true goddess..._

"This is it, Neptune." Noire said, a single tear running down her cheek. "Goodbye."

 _It was her._

"Hyaaaa!"

Just as Noire brought her sword down, a flash of steel knocked it back, forcing the goddess back in surprise as a young girl stood before me. "Purple Heart, are you alright!?" The brunette asked, looking back at me with a worried look on her face. I didn't know who she was, but I could tell that she was an adventurer from her attire and manner.

Had one of my followers come to my rescue?

If they were willing to stand up against a goddess, for me...

Then I couldn't allow myself to be beaten.

Finding my strength, I grabbed my sword and rose to my feet.

Noire glared at us as she readied herself for round two. "I'm not running. Not this time." She said before coming at us, but together we managed to hold our ground. Noire became increasingly frustrated, her attacks becoming more ferocious but more reckless at the same time. Even then, it was hard to keep up with her. The adventurer, although highly skilled, was no goddess, and I was at my limits. Finally, an opportunity showed itself after Noire had just sent the brunette to the ground.

She had left herself wide open.

My sword sang as it cut through her flesh, Noire's eyes widening as her blood was shed. There was a deep cut in her side, and blood gushed out. She dropped her sword, and then dropped to the ground, involuntarily transforming back into her human form. Transforming back myself, I approached her and knelt down by her side.

"It... didn't have to be like this..." I muttered, tears running down my cheeks as I looked down at Noire.  
"This was... how it was always meant to end..." Noire said as she slipped off a black ring that was on her finger. "It was either me or you... and you won..." She placed the ring into Neptune's hand. "Take this... and keep it with you... OK?"

I nodded, confused, but I didn't ask why. "OK..."  
She gave me a weak smile. "You know... Neptune, I..." Her hand reached up and touched my tear-stained cheek. "I... was always jealous... of you. You're the only one... who walked away... from all of this. I... I wished... I had... that kind of strength. I-I'm... sorry..."

With those last few words, Noire's hand went limp. I held her hand in my own, sobbing.

"Noire... I always thought... I always _knew_... that we could have been the best of friends. Wh-what I'm trying to say is... I-I'm going to... miss you..."

Several minutes passed by before I finally stood up, having shed my final tears for the girl that could have been my best friend. "Thank you... for saving me, Miss...?" I said, turning towards the adventurer that had saved my life, only to find the end of a pistol pointed at me.

"It's IF."

A gunshot rang out, and several moments passed before I realized that I had been shot. Stumbling back, I found myself at the cliff edge that Noire and I had ended up at in our fight. Then, in my daze, I remembered something.

"That's right... you just called me 'Purple Heart'..." I muttered, as everyone I knew either called me Lady Purple Heart or some horrible mispronunciation of Lady 'Neptune'.

The girl, IF, didn't look like a cold-blooded killer. I could see her hesitance, her uncertainty, in her eyes, but she wasn't going to leave the job unfinished. "I'm a follower of Lady Green Heart."

Another gunshot, and I fell off of the cliff and down into the water.


	2. A Failure

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hyperdimension Neptunia.**

 **WARNING: This story contains Character Death.**

 ** ** **Enjoy...?******

* * *

 **Two Days After Black Heart's Death**

I woke up in an unfamiliar room, lying on top of the softest bed I have ever had the opportunity to lie on. Why didn't I have a bed that soft? Oh, right, I remember now... The Basilicom said if I had a bed this soft that I'd never get out of it. They were probably right, since it seems like two days has passed since I last woke up, if those words in bold were any indication.

I tried to sit up but immediately groaned and fell back on the bed. My whole body was so sore! I lifted the covers to take a look and saw that I was covered in fresh bandages, and that was all I had on. Granted, there were a lot of bandages, so my sexy body was covered up pretty well. At first, I thought that my body might be sore because whoever had found me had been doing naughty things to me in my sleep, but then I remembered the fight with Noire... and the gunshots.

Oh, right, I also kind of fell off a cliff.

That girl, IF was her name... I guess she was working with Green Heart to assassinate me. So, when she saw me fighting with Noire, she decided to go for a 2-for-1 special. She helped me take out Noire so she could turn on me after I had dropped my guard.

Vert was surprisingly devious, it seemed.

If she had planned to assassinate me, what else did she have planned?

I grabbed a nearby remote and turned on the... DVD player?

Wrong remote.

I grabbed the _other_ remote and turned on the TV.

 _"-w you just take the icing and decorate the cake like so."_

It was a cooking show, and that cake looked utterly delicious.

Shaking my head, I turned the channel to a news channel.

 _"In a sudden surprise attack last night, Leanbox army transport planes flew over Planeptune, dropping what is believed to have been a battalion of paratroopers in and around the capital city. By noon today, it is believed that the city has been successfully occupied by Leanbox forces."_

What?

Green Heart... Vert... She attacked Planeptune with her _army_!? How could she bring her nation into the Console Wars!?

This is...

I just can't... believe this...

Why... _how_ did things turn out this way?

 _"There is still no word from Lady Purple Heart, but without a body Green Heart has no proof that Lady Purple Heart is dead. Citizens of Planeptune, we must stay strong. Even now, the army is preparing to retake the city. Believe, and have faith, for Lady Purple Heart will most definitely re-"_

I turned the TV off.

I didn't want to hear it.

I didn't want the responsibility!

I just wanted to... forget everything.

I didn't want to be a goddess anymore...

* * *

As it turned out, I had been found by a girl named Compa when I had washed up on the bank of the river. She was staying with her grandparents, so she'd brought me back to their house and had put me up in her room. None of them recognized me, which wasn't surprising since very few people knew what I actually looked like in my human form.

As things turned out, I kind of... well, um... faked losing my memory.

I didn't have to explain how I got shot twice, or how I had ended up in the river. Then, because of my 'condition', and because of everything that had started happening, they let me stay with them for the time being.

So, instead of... going off to save her nation like any good heroine would...

I tried to hide from it all.

I turned my eyes away and just curled up into a ball.

* * *

I was able to get up and move around the next day.

I got up early and had breakfast with Compa and her grandparents, but I had little appetite. They asked me if I had remembered anything else, but I just shook my head; the only thing that I did tell them that I remembered was my name. Well, not necessarily 'my name'. I didn't want to take the chance that they actually knew my name (and knew how to pronounce it), so I just told them 'Neptunia'.

They didn't appear to be suspicious of me, despite my circumstances. In fact, they worried about me. Compa was really sweet and friendly, her grandfather would go on about stories from his youth forever if you started talking to him, and her grandmother was very nice. All in all, their house was home to a loving, caring family.

But, most importantly, their life was simple. Her grandparents had a small farm with very few animals and Compa would help them out when she wasn't helping out at the small clinic in the village. They said that, after I healed up, I could stay and help them out if my memory didn't return.

I probably wouldn't get to laze around as much, but after what's happened...

I feel like I could use a change of pace...

Anything to get my mind off of... what's going on.

As if to make me do the exact opposite, I overheard something on the TV when I was helping to clear the table.

 _"A transport plane that was shot down yesterday by a Lastation Long-Range Interceptor over Planeptune has since been identified as a disguised Leanbox army transport that was believed to have been carrying Black Heart's body back to Leanbox. Lastation Special Forces are said to have recovered the body and brought it safely back to their Basilicom for a proper funeral. There are no reports of Lastation considering Leanbox's terms for their surrender."_

I stopped what I was doing and turned to face the TV, a sad look on my face. Leanbox was demanding Lastation's surrender, now? I guess that meant Vert was telling everyone that she had killed Noire...

"Neptunia...?" Compa whispered, noticing me looking at the TV. I looked over at her, but I couldn't meet her eyes. Whether she knew it or not, I was supposed to be her goddess... I was supposed to protect her and this nation from anyone or anything that may threaten it.

But here I was, doing absolutely nothing.

I quickly turned away and carried the dishes to the sink. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Compa looking back at the TV with a somber look in her eyes.

* * *

 **Seven Days After Black Heart's Death**

 _"Following the appearance of Green Heart on the frontlines, the army was unable to retake the capital city and has since withdrawn with heavy losses."_

It's been a week since that fateful day, and my wounds had completely healed, but I was still staying with Compa and her grandparents. Meanwhile, as I sat in front of the TV, holding my knees to my chest, it just kept getting worse.

 _"Fighting on multiple fronts as Leanbox forces invade by air and sea, the army is resorting to holding measures while they await Lady Purple Heart's arrival; however, the situation is looking dire. If Lady Purple Heart does not appear soon, the- Hold on."_ The newswoman had been interrupted in midsentence, and she was holding her hand up to her earpiece as her face grew pale. _"Is this... correct?"_ After a few moments of tense silence, she broke the news. _"_ _Ahem, this is just in, but on the day of Black Heart's funeral, Lowee has declared war on Lastation!"_

My eyes went wide and I immediately covered my ears, burying my head into my knees. Even you, Blanc!? Why... Why!?

Someone put their arms around me, and I could tell by the mounds of soft flesh pressing against my back that it was Compa. I looked back at her, my eyes filled with tears.

"Everything's going to be alright, Neptunia." She told me, a reassuring smile on her face, but it seemed somewhat forced. "When Lady Purple Heart returns, everything will go back to normal! We just... have to wait."

I shook my head. "She's not... coming back." Just saying that, I jumped to my feet and ran to Compa's room (which we were sharing).

I couldn't face her.

Not when she has that much faith in me...

Also, please ignore the irony of me running to _her_ room.

* * *

 **Fourteen Days After Black Heart's Death**

The situation had become so bad in Planeptune that the TV stations and radios had all been taken over by Leanbox personnel, and even now there was a Leanbox news lady going on about 'Lady' Green Heart's 'glorious' victories. Apparently, the Planeptune Army... my army... had been separated into multiple small groups and were either on the run or in hiding. Every major city had fallen and even some of the larger towns were being occupied.

It was rather shocking at how fast Leanbox had swept in and taken over...

Before the news channels had been taken over, reports had come in that despite White Heart fighting on the frontlines over in Lastation, Lowee forces had still yet to break through. Of course, that had been four days ago... Blanc could be sitting in Lastation's Basilicom by now.

A CPU's power is not something to underestimate.

But, if that was the case, I'd assume that Leanbox would spread the news of Blanc's victory to prevent the chance of a rise of resistance here in Planeptune, seeing as Lastation had lost their goddess... and that I was nowhere to be found...

If Blanc had still yet to conquer Lastation, then...

Noire really knew how to handle her military.

I guess I was in the exact opposite boat...

Well, it was way too late to do anything about that now...

Even if I wanted to, there was no way I could save Planeptune now.

Suddenly, the TV went to static and the image of the Leanbox news lady changed to a rugged man in what appeared to be an underground base. _"It's not over!"_ Was the first thing he said, slamming his fist down on the wooden table in front of him. _"Leanbox might have beaten our armies and driven us back, but the resistance is strong! Even now we're rising up in the cities that Leanbox thought conquered! And let me tell you something, something they've been keeping from us. Lowee declared war on Lastation a week ago, and White Heart herself has been fighting on the frontlines all of that time, yet they haven't even made it past the coastline! If Lastation can stand up against a goddess without one of their own, then so can we! I don't know about you, but I'm not waiting around for Lady Purple Heart to show up. We're going to take back our homes, our cities, our_ nation _before she_ _gets back! It all starts with the capital city, but we can't do it alone_. _We need your help, so take arms, rise up, and join the resistance! We're taking back Planep-"_

The feed was finally cut, and I stood there staring at the screen.

Planeptune wasn't defeated yet.

So...

What was I going to do?

No, even if I did something... how would I defeat Vert?

Noire would have defeated me if that girl hadn't interfered, and that same girl nearly finished me off.

I didn't have a chance...

So... I wasn't even going to try?

I... really am... a failure...

Behind me, Compa stood staring at the TV, a fist held at her chest.

The next morning... she was nowhere to be found.

* * *

 **A/N: I forgot to mention, but this is just going to be a short story. Possibly somewhere around 5 chapters or so at the most (not including 'extra' chapters, which would be in different characters POVs than Neptune's).**

* * *

 **TheReginS1 : **I'm glad~

 **CosmicArmor:** I don't know about that "makes it clearer whos speaking", but I must say that 'how it looks' is a matter of opinion. That's how I write character speech, that's how I've been writing it, and I personally think it's good. So, I apologize, but I won't be changing that. That said, I probably should have spread out those two liners. I'll try to keep that in mind.

 **Shattersoul:** I hope it continues to be as entertaining.


End file.
